Japanese Mcusta knives from Irashai

The Mcusta brand of pocket and kitchen knives and the Silky line-up of scissors made by Marusho Kogyo marry traditional Japanese craftsmanship with modern technology to create high-quality long-life blades whose production has a minimal environmental impact.

Marusho uses a special kiln for tempering, which gives superior strength and hardness without brittleness. For example, the Mcusta Damascus Series features a floating mist pattern that is created by forging 32 layers of steel around a core of VG19 super steel to produce a sharp but highly flexible blade.

The group has developed a special edge grind that is a hybrid of Japanese kataba and ryoba blades, and blades are finished with a 1mm bevel for straight, precise cuts.

The knife handles avoid the use of environmentally damaging dyes and plastics. Instead, they are made from multiple layers of hard pakkawood veneers that are impregnated with phenolic thermosetting resins and fused under intense heat and pressure into a solid block of material that is strong, stable and resistant to moisture. The colour runs right through the block, while the resin allows the handle to be sanded and buffed to a gloss finish.

Marusho also provides signature handles in exotic materials such as cocobolo wood, Chinese quince burl, DuPont Corean ivory, African ebony and black pakkawood.

To buy it, call 01628 636082Irashai Services